Expectations of your rigger..?

[timbarrett 0]

What are/should be your expectations for the checking procedure when your rigger repacks your reserve?
After a cutaway last week I was allowed to sit through the inspection process Pablo at UPT went through as he repacked my reserve. I was very reassured by the professionalism and thoroughness of the process..but what unnerved me was that he found a slight misrigging of the reserve lines that had clearly survived two repack cycles with two seperate riggers elsewhere (in the UK as it happens). Presumably some element of the line continuity check had been omitted on two previous occasions.

Now evidently the problem was not that significant in that I didn't notice it on the cutaway (roughly a 1:1 wingloading on the reserve) but it did get me thinking
1) What should be my expectation of my rigger for this inspection/repack process?
2) Short of sitting through every repack, how do you know what happens?
3) How do you find a rigger you REALLY trust?
4) Right now I am thinking that the only rigger I KNOW I can trust is Pablo but it's a rather expensive proposition to send the rig back across the Atlantic to him each time. How far would you send your rig to get it to someone you trust?

Maybe I was a little naive in assuming I didn't have to think about this..but your first cutaway does concentrate the mind a bit

"Work hard, play hard and don't whinge"

[kenneth21441 0]

1) What should be my expectation of my rigger for this inspection/repack process?
2) Short of sitting through every repack, how do you know what happens?
3) How do you find a rigger you REALLY trust?
#1: that the rigger will do a 100% inspection of the canopy, lines, slider, harness, ripcord etc, plus to make sure that their are no updates or AD's on the canopies and/ or harness assembly. Waht I do is provide the customer with a detailed report of this..sort of a check list that shows what I found and what or if any problems would come from this. This sort of answers question 2.

As far as #3 that is up to you. It could be his/ her personality, wahy they maintain themselves, how long they have been a rigger, who trained them, shop well kept, etc...Also referrals from others who they trust. All these may help assist you in finding that special rigger for you. of course you could in effect take the course and test to be your own rigger, then just rig for yourself.Then You know what you want done etc....


just my two cents on this area.

thanks,

Kenneth Potter
FAA Senior Parachute Rigger
Tactical Delivery Instructor (Jeddah, KSA)
FFL Gunsmith

[2shay 0]

If you can afford and time permits, go get you riggers ticket. Not that I had a hard time trusting (although there are some that I would not go to) I did not want to be dependent on someone else anymore. Please don't feel that you need a bunch of jumps to be a rigger (I kind of did, but I was wrong) the course can be accomplished with ease if you work very hard at it. Hope this helps.

don't try your bullshit with me!!!

[peregrinerose 0]

I agree. Getting my riggers' ticket was some of the best money I've spent in skydiving. I learned a LOT, not just about packing reserves, but about the gear in general. Besides, I get to pack my husband's reserve, so he is obligated to be nice to me

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[riggerrob 558]

How much time does he devote to inspection?

How often does he look up Service bulletins?

Is he willing to defer repairs?

Does he replace Cypres loops during every repack?

How long has he been a rigger (years)?

How many reserves has he repacked?

How many reserves has he repacked during the past year?

Does the local DZO trust him enough to maintain school gear?

Do local photographers/instructors/load organizers/skygods trust him to repack their reserves?

Do they complain about him charging extra for minor repairs?

Has he pointed out mistakes by other riggers?

Does he always find something minor to repair?

Does he charge you extra for small repairs?

How much slack is he willing to cut you on Cypres maintenance?

Does he use a rubber stamp - while filling out your reserve packing data card?

What is his attitude towards pencil-packing?

[councilman24 36]

Some of the answers to Rob's list above are not obvious to newbies.

One way is to create a rigger you trust. The riggers who missed this should be informed to educate them. I trained under a master rigger in the area long ago because I couldn't trust any of the rest. It came to be not long after I was aware of more current information than he was because I kept up, joined PIA, and went to the symposiums.

I've become a rigger I would trust, I guess I've always been a rigger that I would trust but I'm certainly a better rigger than I was as a newbie 25 years ago.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[angrypeppers 1]

Quote

Does he use a rubber stamp - while filling out your reserve packing data card?

Rob,

Can you explain this one? My reserve card has both hand written entries and stamps...

Thanks!

Burn the land and boil the sea,
You can't take the sky from me.

[Glitch 0]

Stamping the data card makes it easier to spot a pencil pack?

Randomly f'n thingies up since before I was born...

[angrypeppers 1]

Makes sense. Plus, I think it would be easier to ID who did the repack than trying to decipher the writing.

Burn the land and boil the sea,
You can't take the sky from me.

[NWFlyer 2]

Here's a similar thread I started last year.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2274960

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[riggerrob 558]

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Makes sense. Plus, I think it would be easier to ID who did the repack than trying to decipher the writing.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yes!
Riggers attend the same school of caligraphy as doctors!

[peregrinerose 0]

Quote

Yes!
Riggers attend the same school of caligraphy as doctors!

So imagine the handwriting that those of us who are both riggers and doctors have!! It's twice as bad!

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[riggerrob 558]

Yes!
For example, Dr. Amy von Novak may be a pleasant person to chat with, but I have not got a clue what she wrote in her last letter!

[brianfry713 0]

I look for a rigger in the most convenient location and who has a seal. I'll probably go to whichever one is closest unless I keep hearing of mistakes that rigger has made and don't trust him/her for whatever reason.

I'd like to get my own ticket eventually, then I won't have to travel further than my house for a repack.

[sunshine 2]

Quote

Does he use a rubber stamp - while filling out your reserve packing data card?

I will never use a rubber stamp. A packing data card accidentally got washed with a container and the hand written ink signatures stayed. The stamped ones washed off. True, i'm the idiot that washed the data card, but i'm sure i'm not the only one to make that mistake.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[peregrinerose 0]

I won't use one either, mostly because I'm too cheap to buy one, but your reason sounds good too

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[fcajump 153]

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I won't use one either, mostly because I'm too cheap to buy one, but your reason sounds good too

I don't use one either. But I try to ensure my signature and description of work done is complete and readable.

The only problem I've found is that if the pen will write consistantly on Tyvek, it often soaks through. Great for durability, but lowsy writing surface.

JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[peregrinerose 0]

I admit my signature is unreadable, but given that my rigger number and seal are legible, it would be pretty easy to find me if needed. Whatever was done is also legible. It takes freaking forever to fill out the card because I have to concentrate so hard to write neatly.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda